Schools in Zip Code 87417

ZIP code 87417 covers Kirtland, New Mexico and is home to four public schools serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade: two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. All four belong to Central Consolidated Schools, a district ranked 80th out of 87 in New Mexico, at the 8th percentile, with 0 stars. Total enrollment across the ZIP is 1,989 students. Economic need is essentially universal here — free/reduced lunch is 100% at three schools and 99.87% at the high school — so poverty does not separate these schools from one another. Student-teacher ratios are also similar, ranging from 12.5 to 15.2.

Judy Nelson Elementary is the standout, ranked 165th of 346 elementary schools (52nd percentile, 3 stars) and the only school in the ZIP above the state in math, at 37.30% versus 25.54%. Kirtland Middle placed 108th of 191 middle schools (43rd percentile, 2 stars) and beat its district in language arts, math, and science. Kirtland Central High has the ZIP's highest graduation rate at 90.0%, above district and state, yet 11th-grade math proficiency was just 4.37% and SAT math 3.89%. Kirtland Elementary ranked 296th of 346 (14th percentile, 1 star).

The two elementaries serving the same community diverge sharply: Judy Nelson's all-grade ELA is 44.26% versus Kirtland Elementary's 27.14%, and math is 37.30% versus 24.12%. Science is a system-wide weakness — every school with reported scores is below the state, and Kirtland Elementary's science is reported as under 20%. Trends point in opposite directions: Judy Nelson's math rose from 27.99% to 37.30% and Kirtland Middle's from 18.37% to 23.04%, while Kirtland Central High slipped from the 35th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 10th in 2025–2026.